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The 5 Most Important Issues, Events, and Causes for Women in 2014

I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that 2013 is over—that went by fast!—but with tonight being New Year's Eve, it's time to look ahead at 2014. What issues should we be watching out for? What exciting things are already in the works? And what important events should we already have on our calendars? Before you open that bottle of champagne, here's my list of who and what will matter most for women in the year to come.

Reproductive Rights Even though abortion has been legal for 40 years, the battle over reproductive choices heated up in 2013 with attacks on health-care access on both the state and county levels. "This past year has been devastating to access to reproductive health care for too many women in the United States, but we've also seen a grassroots outcry against these attacks on our constitutional rights," said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights. "Building on that momentum, the Center for Reproductive Rights is going to be pushing to enact the recently introduced federal Women's Health Protection Act, a bill that would put a stop to laws that eviscerate our constitutional right to an abortion."

The Winter Olympics There will certainly be many inspiring moments at the 2014 Winter Olympics, but one in particular, women's ski jumping, is finally debuting this year (men's ski jumping has been in the Olympics since 1924. Yeah.) I'll be tuning in this February to root for Jessica Jerome (already named to Team USA) and hopefully up-and-coming superstar Sarah Hendrickson (she's only 19!) and ski-jumping pioneer Lindsey Van. At 29, Van has been at the forefront of the fight to make women's ski jumping an Olympic sport, and I can't wait to see her reap the benefits of her hard work.

Women in Hollywood When I wrote last week about making a pact to see one movie a month with a female lead (more Jennifer Lawrence in everything please), I talked to a few friends about getting this going. The two we're all looking forward to in 2014: Hunger Games: Mockingjay and Angelina Jolie's Snow White revamp Maleficent (confession: I am obsessed with the trailer). We're a little worried there aren't more but hopeful that Hollywood will step it up and release more films with strong female leads.

Voter Registration Laws When I wrote about Texas voter registration laws potentially keeping women from voting, I heard from readers on both sides of the issue. Some of you agreed that it did make it more difficult from women, while others felt presenting an ID with your legal name wasn't that much of a burden. A week later, Texas State Senator Wendy Davis had a problem voting (her driver's license and voter registration card didn't quite match) and ended up signing an affidavit in order to vote. With more laws like this on dockets across the country, it's worth watching the issue to see how it develops.

Boss Ladies Almost every other week, the team here at The Conversation discuss running a story about a woman in a powerful role (think CEOs, board members and elected officials). That's a good thing. But I want to see a world where a woman being promoted or hired to run a company or represent her constituents isn't a story. Let's work toward getting to a place where the story isn't that she's a woman but that the amazing things she's doing are worth knowing.